Tear off IFAK pouches, yes or no?

[GhostB14]

its amazing that SEALS, Marines, and Army Personnel world wide use tear off ifaks on their deployments EVERY DAY... but they aren't good enough for the couch commandos.

Any insight into specific systems used? I didn't know that this system is being used by our warriors. If its good enough for them, then this couch commando will be all set.

[calicojack]

see last post

[chuckman]

entire post....

I think you have some good points. Tear-off kits have a place, and I can take 'em or leave 'em. I have dealt wth enough bags and kits from the old (very old) Unit 1 and the individual first aid kit in the little green box that fit at the SOB to the BH STOMP to London Bridge to NARP...well, let's just say I have enough experience to realize there is no perfect mousetrap, no one-size-fits-every-job. Maybe that's why there have been a gazillion produced since 9/11 with new ones coming out every other month.

Since I am relatively new to this board I would be curious as to which posters are couch commandos so I know with whom to keep an arm's distance.

[calicojack]

see above

[calicojack]

see above

[Patrick Aherne]

My buddy had an OSOE tear-off IFAK that was consistently landing in the fine, Nevada dust whenever we went through a doorway at the Vickers CQB Instructor course in 2008. My ATS small tear-off IFAK is the gold standard, however. It never came off when I didn't want it to. It is fairly priced and you can fit enough stuff in it without overloading. With a TQ on the front of your armor, it's good to go.

I highly recommend ATS Tactical gear. My team bought about 60 of the pouches, based on my trial of the pouch.

[kaltesherz]

I'd never use a tear away IFAK, when bad stuff goes down it's chaotic, stressful, and fast... not a good time to have things that "tear away" on you. Gear (esp with body armor) is bulky and will bump into things, esp when you're trying to avoid bullets / RPGs etc etc, so having something, esp something so important as your first aid kit, that can be torn off under fire when you need it most is incomprehensible.

Just because an SF battalion buys something doesn't mean it's the bees knees. They have pretty big budgets and many times the guys actually ordering kit are just supply guys, not door kickers / trigger pullers. There's units that ordered hundreds of C-more sights a few years ago.

I'm not saying there's no place for tear away IFAKs, but the vast majority of end-users would be better off without one.

[kalikraven]

I use this on my personal gear. It's a tear away but unless you really yank on it its not going anyware.

http://www.diamondbacktactical.com/p...orm,203,56.htm

[Harv]

Oh dear god.

Why does it always come back to this? Some folks would PREFER to have something more securely attached to their person. It has nothing to do with SEALs or anyone else. It's a personal preference.

And, surprise surprise, I can't imagine why you'd take the position you have.

LOL.. color me surprised as well..

I'm not working for Uncle Sugar anymore, so I don't need that capability, and I'm going out on a limb and say the majority of Troops use a IFAK that is not a tear off...I can't think of a reason why I would need one....

[JSantoro]

Any insight into specific systems used? I didn't know that this system is being used by our warriors. If its good enough for them, then this couch commando will be all set.

If you run a 1st-line belt, the horizontal detachable belt IFAK from ICE is excellent for immediate-use stuff. They make a vertical and a larger detachable (just don't order directly from ICE, you'll almost never see it arrive. Order from one of their distributors). I keep a non-detachable HSGI Bleeder Kit on my vest.

However, don't be fooled by that loudmouthed yahoo about what's common to the warfighter.

Those tear-offs that are in use are, far more often than not, open-purchase items by specific units or individual purchases by those lucky enough to not have a Masters of the Universe command structure that is married to the idea of uniformity simply for the sake of uniformity. Are they used "world-wide?" Yes, by the nature of geography and where our warfighters are deployed; that's where it stops. Is said use done by anything approaching a significant percentage of the force structure? Not only no, but hell no. They use what they're given, and it's normal PALS mounting.

While the above in no way invalidates the advantages one can gain from a well-designed and properly-placed tear-off IFAK (which can be dummy corded, BTW; I like the things, too), it's far, far more important to make arrangements to have med stuff on you and reachable from either side, and that you know how it's used, than it is what goddamned nutsack you put it in

Ergo, CJ shut your ignorant jib (that's a nautical term for mouth, cockholster, sewer, yap, suck, etc) about the supply structure of the US Armed Forces, particularly if it's to get needlessly smarmy over inconsequential crap like a stupid freaking cloth bag with velcro. You're speaking outside your box, whereas mine's just barely big enough to allow for observable, across-the-population fact instead of OSOE-centric fantasy. Whether a couch commando or the ****ing our-universe incarnation of Boba Fett, wrong is wrong.